System, method, and apparatus to provide laser beams of two or more wavelengths
View Patent ↗A system, apparatus, and method may provide laser beams of two or more wavelengths from diode pumped solid-state laser sources ( 220, 222, 224 ). The beam paths of these laser beams with different wavelengths, which are generated by the laser sources ( 220, 222, 224 ), may be aligned along a common optical axis 280 by an optical configuration, to treat at least one target area. Frequency-doubled laser beams, output from a plurality of diode pumped solid state laser cavities, may be passed through fold mirrors (M 2 , M 5 , M 8 ), and combined on a common optical axis 280 , using one or more combiner mirrors (M 10 , M 11 , M 12 ), to unify the beam paths. Selected laser beams may be delivered to a target using one or more delivery systems.
1. A medical laser system for applying laser energy to a target ophthalmic tissue of a human for medical purposes, the improvement comprising:
a first source of green laser light;
a first light path associated with the first source;
a second source of yellow laser light;
a second light path associated with the second source;
a third source of red laser light;
a third light path associated with the third source;
a controller to control the activation of any of the first, the second and the third laser light sources;
an optical configuration to selectively align any of the first, the second and the third light paths along a common axis;
an output port to receive the aligned light beam from the common axis; and
wherein the light from the output port is directed to a target ophthalmic tissue;
a selector operatively associated with the controller for selecting one of said first, second and third laser light sources;
a selector operatively associated with the controller for setting laser exposure settings for the selected laser light source; and
an activator operatively associated with the controller to cause the selected laser source to generate a light beam.
2. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the first source of green laser light has a wavelength of about 532 nm.
3. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the second source of yellow laser light has a wavelength of about 561 nm.
4. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the third source of red laser light has a wavelength of about 659 nm.
5. The laser system of claim 1 wherein that tissue is targeted for photocoagulation purposes.
6. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the output port is directed to an opthalmoscope.
7. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the output port is directed to a slit-lamp assembly.
8. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the output port is directed to an endophotocoagulation probe.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said sources of laser light comprises a primary laser section and a frequency doubling section.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said sources of laser light comprises a pump diode laser source.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein said optical configuration comprises at least one fold mirror.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said optical configuration comprises one or more combiner mirrors to combine the light paths.
13. The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of optical ports associated with the output of said optical configuration.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a moving attenuator to attenuate at least one of said sources of laser light.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising at least one power-monitoring detector to detect the power of at least one of said sources of laser lights on said common axis.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising at least one pickoff mirror to reflect at least one or more of said sources of laser light to a diffuser.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a safety shutter to limit the exposure of said target ophthalmic tissue to one or more of said sources of laser light.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising an aiming beam to enable aiming of said aligned light beam towards the target ophthalmic tissue.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a detector positioned in one or more of said light paths;
a feedback circuit for processing detected light from the laser light source; and
a circuit for validating the accuracy of the actual power output of the generated light beam.
20. The laser system of claim 1 further comprising at least one collimation lens to collimate one or more of the first, second or third light sources.
21. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the selector selects two of the first, second and third laser light sources.
22. A method of treating ophthalmic tissue of a human being with a laser system, comprising the steps of:
providing first, second and third sources of green laser light, yellow laser light and red laser light, respectively;
providing first, second and third light paths associated with each of the laser light sources;
providing a controller to control the activation of any of the first, second and third laser light sources to the ophthalmic tissue depending on the type of treatment;
providing an optical configuration to allow selective alignment of the light paths of any of the first, the second and the third laser light along a common axis; and
providing an output port to receive the selected activated laser light beam from the common axis and direct the beam to the ophthalmic tissue of a human being;
selecting one of said first, second and third laser light sources with a selector operatively associated with the controller;
selecting laser exposure settings for the selected laser light source with a selector operatively associated with the controller; and
activating the selected laser source to generate a light beam with a selector operatively associated with the controller.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising delivering an aiming beam substantially along said aligned light path.
24. The method of claim 22 , comprising channeling said two or more laser light paths via one or more optical ports.
25. The method of claim 22 , comprising delivering said laser light paths using one or more delivery systems.
26. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
providing a detector in one or more of said light paths;
processing feedback from the detector, for said generated light beam; and
validating accuracy of the actual power output of said generated light beam.
27. The method of claim 22 , wherein the first source of green laser light has a wavelength of about 532 nm.
28. The method of claim 22 , herein the second source of yellow laser light has a wavelength of about 561 nm.
29. The method of claim 22 , wherein the third source of red laser light has a wavelength of about 659 nm.